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2011 Hyundai Sonata SE 2.0T, an Autoweek Long-Term Car Review Update

October 5, 2011

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The praise hasn't let up for our long-term Hyundai Sonata. To a person, we're still enjoying the car's peppy turbocharged four-banger and its overall ease of use. Getting the word out on the relative competitiveness of the car, however, has met lots of resistance. Folks accustomed to the standard lineup of domestic, German and European makes won't even consider the Korean car.

An exchange related by one editor typifies the reaction among “civilians,” a.k.a. those who are not automotive journalists.

The exchange is anecdotal, with the Sonata's sales numbers not reflecting such a wide gulf as implied by our friend's response, but we're sure that Hyundai grapples with the assumptions buried in the exchange. Enthusiasts recognize the strides Hyundai has made since it established a foothold on these shores 25 years ago, as exemplified by the fine Sonata. And yet the Sonata--like your basic Toyota Camry, Honda Accord or Ford Fusion--is a car decidedly aimed at nonenthusiasts.

Our experience has been positive, both from an objective standpoint and as compared with the last long-term Sonata in our fleet. That 2006 model was so unloved that we racked up just 13,241 miles in a year's use. Half a year in with our 2011 Sonata, we're just 30 miles shy of that total.

This car performs much better in over-the-road duty, with more than one staffer opting to take the car instead of an SUV on camping vacations and cross-state drives. “We managed to fit most of our gear in the big trunk,” one editor said. “Four suitcases, two sleeping bags, a tent, a case of beer and some miscellaneous items.”

The engine is endlessly eager, its turbocharged personality always entertaining. But perhaps more important for nonenthusiasts is the attention Hyundai paid to the car's basic functionality. Every driver has found the cabin easy to negotiate, the seats comfortable and the nav system among the best and most intuitive we've tested.

The only major trouble we've run into so far can't even be blamed on the car. When it was parked in downtown Detroit for an evening event, someone smashed out the front passenger window and made off with a few items that were (unwisely) left in plain view, including a laptop, sunglasses and an iPod cord. Such incidents are simply a peril of working and playing in a big city. We also took the car in for its 12,600-mile service; a month later, we had to repair a stone pop in the windshield. All told, we didn't spend a night without the car.

One staffer sums up our half-year with the car this way: “The Sonata still kicks ass all over the place. It's great in a straight line, it's quick, and the paddle shifters are actually fun. It's handsome to look at. It has some chrome but not enough to be gaudy, and the lines are just slick.”